Sealing means



p 1935- J. w. MECKENSTOCK 2,013,499

SEALING {MEANS Filed Aug. 29, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheetl 1% VA! 4 37 w Sept.3, 1935- J. w. MECKENSTOCK SEALING MEANS Filed Aug. 29, 1932 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 3, 1935 PATENT OFFICE SEALING MEANS JohnW. Meckenstock, Chicago, Ill., asslgnor to Pettibone Muiliken Company,Chicago, Ill.,a corporation of Delaware Application August 29, 1982,Serial No. 630,951

zCiaims.

My invention relates generally to sealing means and more especially tomeans for eifecting seals between the sides of theimpeller and theadiacent side-walls of the casing of a suction-pump, 3 as for example,and particularly, for pumping istealidtsi, such as sand or gravel, insuspension in a One of my objects is to provide a novel, simple andinexpensive construction of sealing means 1. which as it wears away inuse will be automatically adjustable to maintain an effective seal andtherefore be self-compensating.

Another object is to provide sealing means of such construction that thepressure of the fluid 5 against it, in use, serves to force the sealingmeans into tight engagement with the structure at which the seal is tobe effected. 5

Another object is to provide sealing means in a suction-pump soconstructed that flushing wajg ter for washing the sand and grit fromthe joints between the impeller sides and the adjacent sidewalls of thecasing may be employed to the best advantage and without loss thereof;and other objects as will be manifest from the following 2: description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a view in verticalsectional elevation of a suction-pump for pumping sand or gravel andembodying my invention.

98 Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating one of thesimilar sealing constructions of Pig. 1, the seal being shown connectedwith the adjacent side-wall of the pump-casing, but disaseociated fromthe impeller with which it co- 86 operates.

Figure 8 is a similar view showing the way the seal deforms whenassociated with the impeller.

Figure 4 is a view like Fig. l of a diflerent construction of pump alsoembodying my invention. as Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view ofstill another modification embodying my invention; and

Figure 8, a fragmentary view of still another modification embodying myinvention.

66 Referring to the construction of pump shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, thecasing of this pump comprises an annular, peripheral, section providedabout its inner periphery with a channel I opening toward the center ofthe section.

' The casing also comprises end, or side, forming sections 8 and 9, thesection 8 having a central suction opening ill therethrough andcomprising a main disk-like member Ii secured at its circumferentialportion, by bolts II, to an annular external flange it on the section 8,the member Ii having an inwardly offset portion H at which it extendsinto the opening I! in the adjacent side of the section 8. The section 8also comprises a disk-like liner member i8 secured to the inner face ofthe member H by bolts i'i, the inner face 5 of the liner It beingsubstantially flush with the adjacent inner, annular, surface Iii of thesection I. 1

The section 9 is formed of a main disk-like member I l which has acentralized tubular por- 10 tion and is secured at its circumferentialportion by bolts 2| to an annular, external, flange 22 on the section 8,the member is having an e inwardly oil'set central portion 23 at whichit ex- 7 tends into the opening 24 in the adjacent side 5 of the section8. The section 9 also comprises a disk-like liner member 25 secured tothe inner face of the member is by bolts 26. the inner face of the linermember I! being substantially flush with the adjacent inner surface 21of the secno tion 0. v

The pump also comprises an impeller 2810- cated in the casing andsecured to an end of a shaft 29 journaled in the tubular portion 20 ofthe casing-section 9 and driven by any suitable as means.

The impeller in accordance with common practice, comprises a pair ofparallel, spaced-apart, ring-like portions 30 and 3! secured together bya series of crosswise extending web-portions 82 30 which are curved incross section and extend at their inner ends short of the axis aboutwhich the impeller rotates, the portions 30 and 3| and webs I2 beingpreferably cast as a one-piece structure, the'webs 32 constituting thevanes oi the 35 impeller.

The casing of the particular construction shown also includes means forsealing the annular joints between the section 8 and the side members 8and 9, at the surfaces Ill and i6, respectively, these means which areof the same character as the sealing means forming the subject of theapplication of Oscar W. Andersen for U. S. Patent Serial No. 485,984,filed October 2, 1930, comprising rings 38, as for example of rubber,and of wedgeshape in cross-section held in place by the liner members itand 25.

It may here be stated that in accordance with common practice theimpeller operates to exert suction at the opening I!) which latter, inpracso tice, would be connected with a pipe (not shown) the inlet end ofwhich would be submerged in the material to be acted on by the pump, thematerial thus drawn into the pump casing being driven by the blades ofthe impeller against the inner peripheral portion of the casing alongwhich the material travels to the outlet of the pump.

As will be understood, negative pressure existing at the inlet of thepump and a positive pressure being created by the impeller a portion ofthe fluid pressure will flow from the high pressure side to the inlet,low, pressure side unless prevented and thus result in decreasedeffectiveness of the pump. Furthermore, grit, such as sand, being pumpedwill be carried into the spaces between the impeller and the side wallsand especially the side wall at the inlet side of the casing, and thussubject the parts to undue and objectionable wear.

It is thus desirable to seal the spaces between the impeller and theside walls of the casing and this is one of the purposes of the presentinvention, the means shown for this purpose comprising inner and outerspaced-apart scaling rings 34 and 35 carried by the casing-wall 8 and asealing ring 36 carried by the casing-wall 9, these several rings beingshown as disposed concentrically about the central. longitudinal axis ofthe pump.

Each sealing ring is formed of resilient elastic, material, such as softrubber, the rings being formed either of a single ring section or, asshown, of a plurality of flatwise opposed ring sections of material ofthe character above stated.

The ring 34, shown as associated with the liner member I6, is secured atits inner annular marginal edge to the liner |B as by screws 31extending through a ring 38 which bears against the ring 34 and alsothrough this ring and screwed into the liner member IS, the latterhaving an annular bevel-surface 39, forming an abutment surface,inwardly offset from the portion of the liner member H3 at which thering 34 is secured whereby the free annular portion of the ring 34beyond the attaching screws 31 is deflected inwardly toward the diskportion 3| of the impeller as shown, the width of the ring 34 being suchthat its extreme outer annular marginal edge portion, in the assembledposition of the parts, is deflected in an outward direction into acondition in which it flatwise engages the ring-portion 38 of theimpeller. Figure 2 illustrates the inward deflecting of the outermarginal edge portion of the ring 34 in the applying of the ring to theliner member I6, and Fig. 3 illustrates the position assumed by theterminal annular marginal edge portion of the ring 34 when the sideplate 8 is applied to position relative to the impeller.

The ring 35 likewise is secured to the liner member |6 as explained ofthe ring 34 and cooperates with an annular bevel surface on the linermember I6 and represented at 40, as explained of the ring 34, causingthe outer annular marginal edge portion of the ring 35 to be deflectedinwardly and lap the ring portion 3| of the impeller, as shown.

The ring 36 is shown as secured to the liner member 25 as explained ofthe ring 34 and cooperates with a bevel surface 4| on liner member 25for the purpose as explained in connection with ring 34.

As will be noted, the sealing rings, by reason of the deformation oftheir free marginal edges into flatwise engagement with the adjacentring-like side portions of the impeller and against their tendency toreturn to the condition shown in Fig. 2, are rendered self-adjusting soto speak, not only in the initial assembling of the parts, but also asthe outer marginal edges of the rings wear away in use, therebymaintaining sealing engagement between the impeller and the side walls 8and 9 of the casing.

Furthermore where the sealing rings are secured in position at theirinner marginal edge portions leaving their outer marginal edge portionsfree to deform, the sealing function thereof is augmented by reason ofthe pressure of the fluid at the high pressure side of the pump exertedagainst these outer marginal edge portions tending to force them intoclose contact with the ring portions of the impeller.

There being a tendency for the grit to enter the spaces between the sideplates 8 and 9 and the ring portion 3| of the impeller due to thedifferential fluid-pressures as above referred to, I have illustrated inthis particular construction means which may be employed to flush fromthe space represented at 42 between the sealing rings 34 and 35 and thespace 42 bounded by the ring 36, any grit which may pass the rings 34and 36, these means involving the supplying of water, or other suitablefluid, to the spaces 42 and 42 as through the pipes represented at 43and 44, respectively, and which would be connected to any suitablesource of the fluid under pressure, the fluid being supplied theretoeither continuously or intermittently.

In the continuous supplying of the fluid to the spaces 42 and 42 and ata pressure suflicient to unseat the outer sealing ring 34 and the ring36, these rings yield only suihcient to permit the flushing fluid topass between them and the impeller, the flushing fluid thus preventingthe flow of grit into the spaces 42 and 42 and by reason of the highvelocity of the fluid produced by the flow thereof through theconstricted spaces between the rings 34 and 36 and theimpeller-effectively preventing the grit from acting on the side plates8 and 9 and ring portions 30 and 3| outwardly beyond the sealing rings34 and 36. In the case of the fluid introduced into the space 42 thefluid pressure therein, as will be noted, serves to exert pressureagainst the outer marginal edge of the sealing ring 35 aiding in themaintenance of a sealed joint between the side plate 8 and the ringportion 3|.

In the intermittent supplying of fluid pressure to the spaces 42 and 42the sealing rings 34 and 36 function during the periods the fluidpressure is discontinued or reduced, to automatically seal the jointsbetween the side plates 8 and 9 and the ring portions 30 and 3|,respectively, and. thus operate as checks to prevent the entry of gritinto the spaces 42 and 42.

The structure shown in Fig. 4 is of the same general construction asthat shown in Figs. 1-3 except that the packing rings 33 and the linerplates l6 and 25 are omitted. Thus the sealing rings 34, 35 and 36,instead of being mounted on liner plates as above described of Figs. 1,2 and 3, are secured directly to the end sections of the pump casing andrepresented at 8 and 9 which latter present the annular bevel surfacesengaged by the sealing rings 34, 35 and 36 and deflecting them inwardlyas explained of the bevel surfaces on the liner members of theconstruction of the preceding figures of the drawings.

The structure shown in Fig. 5 is of the same general construction asthat shown in Fig. 4 except that the outer seal 34 is omitted and theclearance space between the end section 8 and the impeller is somewhatreduced from a point adjacent the pipe 43 radially outwardly. In thisconstruction the sealing ring 35 serves as a seal against escape ofpressure from the high pressure side of the pump to the low pressureside thereof and fluid pressure supplied through the pipe 43 operates tokeep the space between the end section 8 and the impeller clear of gritand forces the ring into tight engagement with the disk portion 3| ofthe impeller.

The construction shown in Fig. 6 is the same as that shown in Fig. 4except for the addition of a liner member located outwardly beyond theouter sealing ring 34. In this construction the main portion of the sidemember of the casing and herein indicated at 8 is annularly recessed at8 in which recess the ring 34 is mounted, this recess also containingthe liner member referred to and forming a part of the side of thecasing, this liner member represented at 8 and held in place by a screwB being beveled along its inner edge as represented at 8 for performingthe function of the bevel surface 39 of Fig. 1.

Where sealing means are incorporated in a pump for pumping liquid freeof grit, the sealing means wouldpreferably be located close to thecenteroi' the pump as shown of the ring 35 in Fig. 5, for thesake ofeconomy of construction.

While I have illustrated and described certain particular forms 01'structure, embodyingmy in vention I do not wish to be understood asintending: to limit it thereto as the invention be pressed by resilienceof thefringagainst theopposing surface of the remaining member.

2. In combination: relatively rotatable parallel members. one of saidmembers formed with a frusto conical, groove substantially concentricwith the axis of the members; a ring of soft rubber havingan initialform in which one surface lies parallel with the surface of said groovedmember: said ring secured at one margin in said groove andtherebystrain'ed toward a frusto conical surface, the free margin ofsaid ring pressed by resilience of the ring against the opposing surfaceoftheremaining member.

" JOHN 1HECKENSTOCK.

